Our Board

Ruth joined the Improving Lives Board in August 2020.  She retired in 2018 after almost 40 years working in the public sector, predominantly in finance in the NHS.

She was a Director of Finance in NHS organisations across Nottinghamshire for over 20 years and was Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for 4 years until her retirement.

Naomi moved to Nottingham in 1999 to attend Nottingham Trent University and fell in love with the City. She started working in the public sector in 1998, and has worked for the Department of Work and Pensions (supporting people with disabilities in the workplace), Nottingham City Council (substance misuse services), and most recently spent 16 years working in the NHS, predominately in mental health. Naomi is an accomplished senior leader with extensive experience in service redesign and transformation, co-production with service users, and driving quality improvement in services.

Naomi has most recently led on neurodevelopment (ND) conditions, such as ADHD and Autism, across the Midlands region for NHS England, and has become a passionate advocate for improving access to services and expanding the service offer to better support children and adults with ND.

Ola has lived in Nottingham since 1987. He has been in his current post as a consultant psychiatrist  at Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust since 1993.

With 2 children there is very little free time but he does regularly play tennis with enthusiasm rather than skill.

An accomplished senior manager with a proven track record in driving quality improvement and strategic leadership in healthcare services. I am deeply committed to enhancing patient outcomes.

My expertise encompasses quality improvement, operational management, clinical governance, strategic planning, and managing complex healthcare projects. I bring a strategic mindset, leadership skills, and a commitment to advancing the mission of organisations that prioritise the wellbeing and support of their communities.

I am passionate about fostering continuous improvement and collaborating with stakeholders to achieve sustainable growth and impactful change.

Andie brings her vast experience in human resources to Improving Lives. Andie’s career spans Banking, Wealth Management, Insurance, Legal and Education sectors where she has built expertise in performance management, leadership, governance and organisational design. Throughout her career, Andie has been an advocate for supporting mental health within the workplace, encouraging proactive measures to ensure support and guidance is readily available to those in need.

Having travelled extensively with her career, Andie is delighted that the family have put down roots just outside of Nottingham and is thrilled to be able to contribute her free time to support Improving Lives.

Lorna Biondi is a solicitor with extensive experience in financial services, governance and corporate law. She currently leads a high-performing team responsible for compliance, operational risk and oversight, bringing a strong focus on robust governance frameworks, accountability and effective organisational performance.

Lorna has a deep understanding of regulatory environments and the importance of sound governance in delivering sustainable, purpose-driven outcomes. She is passionate about contributing her professional expertise to support organisations in achieving their strategic objectives while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and oversight.

Based in Nottingham, Lorna lives with her husband and her two daughters. She is an advocate for improving access to mental health and neurodiversity (ND) services for children, informed by her own experience navigating these systems as a parent. This personal perspective drives her dedication to supporting charities that work to make services more accessible, inclusive and responsive to individual’s needs.

In her spare time, Lorna has taken up rowing and enjoys both the social and competitive aspects of the sport—albeit with modest success on the competitive side.